Hey there,
welcome back. Wow, chapter 10 already, time goes by quickly while writing. Thank you for you continued support, your reviews motivate me a lot. I wish you a nice weekend with chapter number 10.
Have fun!
Hogwarts, October 1996
A few days later it is Halloween and like every year Harry has the blues. He stays in bed so long he almost misses breakfast although he is awake for hours. He just can't motivate himself to stand up. After the usual school day he and his friends sit in the common room and try to get their homework done. Ron stares at his parchment, his head supported by his hands while Harry racks his brain about Runes homework.
"Harry?", asks Hermione. In front of her lies a long essay, seemingly Transfigurations in her usual neat handwriting. The ink is still wet and glittering in the light of the fire.
"Hm?"
"I wanted to ask you for a while, do you know what the prophecy said?"
The question catches Harry off guard.
"Yes, I know the content."
"What is it?", Ron whispers, looking up from his half empty parchment.
"I can't tell you."
"But why not?"
Harry puts his quill away and looks into their expectant faces.
"As my friends you are in constant danger, I am sorry about that, but it can't be changed anymore. Last June, Voldemort send some of his best Death Eaters after the prophecy. What do you think he'd do if he got any hint that you might know the prophecy? I think he would do anything to get that knowledge out of you, he'd kidnap you, your families and torture you. I'd like to spare you that. The prophecy is not that informative anyway. He believes himself at a disadvantage, which he is not, but I'd like him to continue thinking that way.", Harry explains.
"Harry, that are all good and noble intentions, but you can't keep everything to yourself. You had quite the blues afterward and we never really talked about it.", Hermione worries.
"Yeah, we are your friends, Harry. You can tell us everything. What is a bit more danger to us?", Ron adds.
"I'm sorry, I don't see it that way. We're no kids anymore, we have to think in bigger dimensions than such childish curiosity. There are things that I can't share with you and I fear those things won't become less in the future.", Harry finishes sadly.
Ron and Hermione argue their points a bit longer, but Harry doesn't give in. He can tell that his friends are disappointed and hurt about his refusal to tell them everything, but he is absolutely convinced of his reasons. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if anyone would be hurt by Voldemort because he told them about the prophecy. Hell, in any case a friend would be injured because of him, he would be devastated. To see Ron's empty eyes staring up to him, like Cedric's or to see Hermione, lying on the floor brokenly, like Sirius last summer.
Harry shakes his head to get rid of those morbid thoughts. He wouldn't put them in any more danger, even if that means that their friendship will not be the same again.
"Harry, are you coming? The feast starts in a few minutes."
Harry looks up to Ron, who is ready to go. He didn't notice how long he stayed deep in thought.
"No, I won't go to the feast, it just feels wrong to celebrate this day.", Harry answers. He too puts his homework back into his bag.
"Oh. What are you doing instead?", Hermione asks.
"I've got a date tonight. We'll have a nice time away from the feast.", Harry answers.
"Aah. Then we wish you a 'nice time' with your girlfriend.", Ron answers mockingly. "I wished you would tell who she is. Or how." Hermione slaps the back of Ron's head and the two walk out of the common room.
Harry brings his backpack into his trunk and leaves the Griffindor tower.
"Hi Harry. On your way to the feast?", Ginny greets exuberantly.
"No, but to my date."
Ginny's face falls. "Oh. Than have a nice evening." She slips away without waiting for a reply.
The way down the secret passage and through the wards is a routine for Harry by now. In his apartment he is a bit early for the date with Michael, so he calls one of his house elves to give him an overview about his mail. Harry congratulates himself to the idea to ask for an overview, not the real mail. There are more than 200 pieces of fan mail and 6 requests for interviews. Some other letters were already destroyed by the wards around the manor and the elves, because those had curses or poisons included. Having your mail directed to elves was definitely useful. Harry even writes a letter to the Quibbler, making his opinion on the Creature Bill known in carefully chosen but strict words.
Harry and Michael spend the evening at the flat, making pancakes, popcorn and watching movies on the TV while cuddling on the couch. Later the cuddling becomes more and is relocated onto the rug by accident and later into the bedroom by choice. Spending Halloween this way is far better than the last years, Harry realizes before falling asleep totally exhausted.
***HP***
The next morning Harry says goodbye to Michael and makes his way back to Hogwarts. Harry doesn't bother going back to bed, he just arranges his sheets to look used and then goes to take a shower. When he steps into the bathroom, surprisingly Ron is already up and brushing his teeth. He grins at Harry as wide as possible with the toothbrush in his mouth and gives him a thumbs up. Unsure what else to do, he reciprocates and Ron's smile seems to become even wider. Before any unpleasant questions can be asked, Harry hurries into the shower.
While going down to breakfast, Ron burst into laughter various times and refuses to answer, why. At the Griffindor table they meet Hermione who is absorbed in her potions book. She only glances up shortly.
"Good morning. How was you date yesterday, Harry?", she asks.
Ron again bursts into laughter. "Do you really have to ask that, Hermione? His appearance says enough."
Confused, Harry checks his clothing, but it is spotless. Thank godness.
Hermione looks up and studies Harry's face, than her face lights up and she grins broadly. "Yes, that much is obvious."
"What?"
"Ron, stop acting so childish. Harry, you've got a huge hickey under your left ear."
Harry hastily places his hand over the telltale spot, his eyes going wide and his face flushing. How many people had seen the mark already? Only ten? Twenty?
"Whatever you did last night, don't you think you are moving a bit fast? You're after all only dating her for two months.", Hermione asks skeptical.
"He only came back to the dorm this morning!", Ron supplies unhelpful and still grinning broadly.
"Everything's okay. We are doing great.", Harry answers evasively.
"Does she have a friend you can introduce me to?", Ron asks and Hermione slaps the back of his head, murmuring something like "chauvinist".
Harry starts eating while his friends banter. Only Hermione's sharp intake of breath catches his attention. Hermione is holding the Daily Prophet in her hands, looking petrified with wide eyes.
"What happened?", Harry asks concerned.
"What didn't happen?", Hermione whispers in shock. "There were several attacks last night. Usually Death Eaters go for villages or suburban places, but yesterday night they attacked in the most populated areas of Bristol and Edinburgh. They had giants with them, so many people are dead, 116 are confirmed, but not all corpses were recovered yet.
Additionally, there were werewolf attacks in the south, 6 people were infected. Two of them children.", Hermione flips through the pages.
"How awful. I've never heard about a night when so many people were infected. And that with the new Creature Bill.", Ron muses.
"That's probably why it happened. The werewolves have to be angry about the Creature Bill. Steering them into violence must have been easy for Greyback.", Harry concludes.
The dark mood stays with them for the rest of the day. Professor McGonagall asks Harry into her office when they meet on the corridor and asks him if he had any visions lately, especially last night. After all it is probably not random that those things happened on Halloween. The teacher looks relieved that Harry was spared from witnessing such horrors.
***HP***
The next days the papers are full of additional information about the attacks on Halloween. Now it is confirmed that 132 muggles died that night, 2 were still not found. Either the Death Eaters kidnapped them or they are simply not recognizable after coming too close to a giant.
"Oh my. The Prophet doesn't have any shame, here is even a picture of the children who were bitten on Halloween." The picture is not good quality, like it was shot from a big distance, but it still shows too much. Two boys, seemingly siblings, are sitting on a stretcher. They have makeshift bandages on their arms and hands, the taller boy has one around his mid as well. In front of them crouches a man with a notebook, seemingly an auror interviewing them.
"They should have been at St. Mungo's, not being interviewed already.", Ron states angrily.
"They can't go there, remember? They are banned from public places, St. Mungo's included.", Hermione reminds him darkly.
"But with such bite wounds, they surely need medical treatment.", Harry says.
"Quite probable. But they won't get it in the hospital. Hopefully their parents are wealthy enough to send them to a private healer.", Hermione hopes.
"Probably not. Those healers demand a lot, their clients are mostly filthy rich purebloods like the Malfoys. If those boys were purebloods the media would have reacted differently. This digs for pity and sensations, with purebloods there would have been a demand for personal on the case and in general a harsher reaction."
Hermone seems to swallow her comment on injustice. "Hm. Here is even an aid appeal for the medical costs at the bottom of the page. The problem with those is that people forget the tragedy after a short period of time and stop donating money. But the boys will be werewolves for the rest of their lives."
Her words stay in Harry's mind for the rest of the day. He pays less attention to the lesson than usual and skips one of his Runes lessons to make his way out of the castle and to Gringotts.
His account manager is not pleased to meet him on such short notice, but agrees. Again Silversword confirms is identity before coming to business.
"I'd like to set up a pool for the medical treatment of werewolves. They don't deserve being outcast and left to die. I'd like to ask you to find a healer to cooperate and set up the pool to pay for the treatment. Every werewolf shall have to opportunity to see a healer if necessary, not only those two boys recently bitten. Because I have no knowledge about the necessary procedure, I'd like to ask you to handle the matter or let someone else handle it.", Harry explains the purpose of his visit.
"Donations of any kind are absolutely inadvisable without steady income.", is the goblin's only reply.
"I know that, but by the time I have an income, it might be too late for the werewolves. I don't plan on putting too much into the fund, but I need to do at least something."
"How much do you plan to donate to the fund?"
"10 000 galleons for a start. When I have an income, I will put in more."
"You wish to spend 13 percent of your fortune on werewolves?"
"Yes."
"As you wish, Mr Potter. I will coordinate the opening of the fund and everything else. But please be aware that in the current political climate, 10 000 galleons might only be a drop of water on a hot stone."
"But it might motivate others to donate a bit of money, too. And it shows the werewolves that not everyone wishes to outcast them."
"Do you want to be publicly liked to this fund? It would motivate more people if it is you who stood behind this fund, but the attention can have unpleasant qualities, too. For example the ministry won't look too kindly on a pool that works against one of their laws."
"I don't want my name in the fund's name and no headline like Harry Potter presents: The werewolf fund. Otherwise it's okay. What could they do against the fund?"
"They review the purpose of such pools. If the distribution of money is discriminating against others or promoting illegal behavior, it can be forbidden. As the purpose is fully charitable, they won't find anything, but they can still try."
"So it wouldn't be possible to exclude Greyback from the people who can be treated with money from the fond? I don't want to promote his wellbeing after all."
"Not in written form. But the healer can be asked to throw him out or contact the aurors. Greyback is a known criminal, after all. For that a brave and so an even more unusual private healer would be needed. It will take some time to find one."
"Okay. Please keep me informed of the process. And can you do the paperwork in case the ministry reviews the pool?"
"As you wish, Mr. Potter."
Harry makes his way back to Hogwarts. Setting up the pool was easier than thought, but he can't help but question the usefulness of such a measure. Greyback is neither the only criminal werewolf nor the only Death Eaters supporting one. But excluding all criminal werewolves would leave hardly anyone to profit, thus making the fund useless. And only concentrating on children would be unfair towards the adults who struggle with the condition like Remus.
***HP***
Harry is back a bit early from Gringotts and so locks himself in an unused classroom on the first floor. Ever since he heard from Valon that his aunt claimed that she could do elven and human spells at the same time, he tries it. Because he can't think of a way to make two spells at the same time work, he plans on using one spell with a continued effect and one with a short time effect. So he levitates a piece of chalk with his wand and then focuses on calling forth his magic in order to change to color of the skin on his hand with an elven spell. Both are the most simple spells he can remember, but as soon as he concentrates on his magic, the piece of chalk falls to the floor. It's the same the other way around, if he concentrates on his magic the elven way, he can't do the levitation with his wand. Once he thought he got the hang of it, only to realize that he used the elven levitation spell. Two elven spells don't rule each others out. Recreating the same result with his wand is harder, but still successful. So is really has to do with the focus. Human magic is focused and pulled through the wand while elven magic is focused by the person itself and doesn't need any kind of unnatural exit. Harry heard about people being able to do human magic wandlessly, for example the headmaster, but learning that would take too much time just for comparing it to elven magic. At least for now.
No, Harry seemingly has to rely on the book Valon's aunt wrote, and that is a problem in itself. While his ability to speak the elven language becomes better slowly, the progress in written elven is nearly non-existent. Sure, he can read the most basic books for small children, but that's it. And Valon's aunt surely didn't write in such simple words and the fact that she was mentally ill probably doesn't make the book easy lecture.
Again without success in this research, Harry goes to meet his friends for lunch.
***HP***
The rest of the week and the week after go by slowly. No news from Gringotts arrives, but that was to be expected. The newspapers are still full of information about the attacks on Halloween, one might thing it would become old news after a few days, but no. The failing of the aurors and hit-wizards in arresting the culprits are discussed, rumors about the still too low budget of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement are spread and so on. Harry's statement in the Quibbler about the Creature Bill is discussed and the fact that such an outstanding person doesn't agree with the ministry fuels the discussions. A small article of the gossip pages discuss Harry's recent hickey, but it's harmless, at least as long as no other name is connected to the gossip.
The students get more owls than usual, Harry hears from all sides that the students argue with their parents about withdrawing from Hogwarts or not. Most students don't want to go, but a hand full has to leave on their parents' wishes. As if not learning how to defend yourself is safer than staying at Hogwarts.
Defense against the Dark Arts is still the most depressing class, even compared to Potions. Professor Robards drills knowledge about curses into their heads, but the duelling exercises are not very effective. The professor gives them a task to practice, but many of his instructions are hard to follow, especially since he can't demonstrate the dodging techniques and so on. His problems with breathing seem to be mostly gone, but every time he stands up, his face is twisted in pain and his whole body shakes. He tries to stand often, as he seems to have been a very active kind of person before the attack. So most of the time he sits behind his desk and yells instructions. From his perspective he can hardly see all the duelling pairs and their mistakes or Malfoy, who is shooting spells through the class at Harry and his friends.
Finally, it is Friday again, Harry's favorite day of the week. He doesn't have to hide his leaving the tower anymore. With wide, knowing smiles, his friends wish him a nice evening, and he leaves the castle.
Michael is already at his flat, he sits on the couch with his head in his hands. When Harry closes the door behind himself, Michael looks up with a sad smile. He looks as if he didn't sleep well.
"Hallo, Harry."
"Hey Michael. What's up?", Harry asks after giving his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek and sitting down onto the couch. Michael takes Harry's left hand and and strokes it with his thumb. He seems to be searching for words.
"We need to talk. No, I need to tell you something, but I don't know how to do it the best way." He pauses "Two days ago, I found a partner who is the same species as me. I told you, I can only have children who are of my kind with a partner who is, too. She is a bit younger than me and quite insecure, so it would be the best if I didn't still have any contact with you."
"You want a clean break, no looking back."
"Yes. No, I don't want that, but I have to ask that of you. I like you very much, Harry. The last months were absolutely wonderful, I don't want to loose you. But I have to think of my future, my family. It's a natural instinct to want to have a child of the same species, it is for most magical species.", Michael rants unhappily.
"I understand. We discussed that at the beginning of our relationship. That it might not be forever. But hearing this is so … hard."
"I'm so sorry."
"So, that's it. No contact from now on?"
"Yes. It would help my future wife to know that I don't still have contact with my ex. I will move back to my folk for the next years, as it is tradition. My parents didn't follow that tradition and settled down near Glasgow. But I don't want that for my family, not in this dark times. I'll even stop my training as a hit-wizard, I don't need a human job where I am going. It's very possible we will never see each other again."
Harry just nods, unable to speak through the tight feeling in his throat. His whole body feels numb and icy.
Michael stands up, seemingly unsure what to do. "Is there any way I can make this any easier for you?"
"No, I don't think so." Harry stands up as well. His voice sounds weak and hoarse. "I wish you all the best for your life, Michael."
"I wish the same to you, Harry. Goodbye." Michael leaves the flat with his head downcast and not looking back.
Harry doesn't know how long he stared at the door after Michael left. Despite the burning in his throat and eyes, no tears fall. He doesn't know what to do instead of sitting down and still staring at the door, his mind is so foggy he isn't able to think a clear thought.